Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 begins like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants can get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in almost every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the outset, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting array of wagering choices and seeing that you have many individuals trying for the high, as well as a few battling for the low. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.